The invention relates to methods and apparatus for the production of dentures and more specifically to automated or semiautomated procedures for surveying the dental wax used in simulating the natural gingiva or gum tissue between the artificial teeth and the simulated buccal tissue on the model. In modern dental laboratories the surveying of the dental wax is still a very time consuming manual art which leads to nonuniformity in the strength and texture of the wax coating on the denture, and possible fracture in use. Prior art used a procedure of melting discrete pieces of wax on a Bunsen burner and manually placing the melt in position on the model with a stylus. Hot wax guns have also been used.